Personal sanitary appliance

ABSTRACT

A personal sanitary device for use in incontinent females comprises a vaginal portion for insertion in the vagina and provided with an opening for receiving secretion from the uterus and a vestibular portion provided with an opening for receiving fluid from the urethra, the openings communicating with passage means provided with a one way valve which is adapted such that the passage of fluid from the openings therethrough will maintain a subatmospheric pressure in the device which pressure causes the device to be sealingly engaged with the wearer.

United States Patent Crowley 154] PERSONAL SANITARY APPLIANCE [72]Inventor: Ivan Patrick Crowley, c/o Standard Bank Limited, 117 ParkLane, London, England 22 Filed: March 19, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 126,070

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar, 20. 1970 Great Britain..13703/70 [52] US. Cl. ..128/285, 128/127, 128/295 [51] Int. Cl. ..A61f13/20 [58] Field of Search 128/127-129, 285, 128/294-295 [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,116,734 l/1964 Terman ..128/295 [1511 I3,683,914 [4511 Aug. 15, 1972 3,601,125 8/1971 Moss 1 28/295 FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 134,211 7/ 1929 Switzerland 128/127 PrimaryExaminer-Charles F. Rosenbaum Attorney-Holcombe, Wetherill & Brisebois[5 7] ABSTRACT A personal sanitary device for use in incontinent femalescomprises a vaginal portion for insertion in the vagina and providedwith an opening for receiving secretion from the uterus and a vestibularportion provided with an opening for receiving fluid from the urethra,the openings communicating with passage means provided with a one wayvalve which is adapted such that the passage of fluid from the openingstherethrough will maintain a subatmospheric pressure in the device whichpressure causes the device to be sealingly engaged with the wearer.

. 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 15, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 15, 1972 l PEGNAL SANITY APPCE The presentinvention relates to improvements in personal sanitary devices for theincontinent female.

According to the present invention, there is provided a personalsanitary device for use in incontinent females comprising a firstportion for insertion into the vagina having a surface portion defininga first opening for receiving secretion from the uterus and adapted forcontact with the tissue surrounding the uterine orifice, a secondportion having a surface portion defining a second opening for receivingfluid discharged from the urethra and adapted for contact with thetissue surrounding the urethral orifice, outlet passage meanscommunicating with said opening and fluid flow control means in saidpassage means for controlling the flow of fluid therealong and adaptedsuch that the passage of fluid from said openings therethrough willmaintain a subatrnospheric pressure at said openings, saidsubatmospheric pressure causing said surface portions to sealinglyengage said respective tissue.

Preferably the control means is a one way valve comprising two flexiblesheets extending in the direction of fluid flow from said openings, theupstream margins of the sheets being relatively fixed with the sheets inface to face relation, the said faces of the sheets being in sealingengagement when the valve is closed.

A device according to the invention will keep the wearer dry because ofits sealing engagement with the wearer. By virtue of the fact that thesubatmospheric pressure is maintained by the flow of fluid from thewearer, the device can be simple in construction and has no need ofexternal suction mechanisms.

The present invention will be more readily understood from the followingdescription of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only,reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the first and second portions of thedevice;

FIG. 2 shows in perspective a part of the device including the one wayvalve;

FIG. 3 illustrates schematically the device in section in situ on awearer;

FIG. 3A is a scrap view of a part of the device, and

FIG. 41 illustrates the principle on which the device works.

Referring to FIG. I, the device It) comprises a vaginal portion 11 and avestibular portion T2. The portion ll is preferably composed of an inertplastics material which does not excite tissue reaction and is adaptedto be inserted into the vagina and be in sealing engagement with thewearer. To this end, the portion 11 has wing portions 113, a tuberosityM and shoulders 15. An opening 16, communicating with a passage 17, isdefined in the portion 1 1 for receiving secretion from the uterus.

The portion 112 has an oval opening 18, bounded by a rim l9 andcommunicating with a passage 20, for receiving fluid from the urethra.Adjacent and below the rim I9 is a fine anti-oedema screen or netting 21which may be of nylon and which will overlie the urethral orifice whenthe device is in position on the wearer. A similar screen or netting maybe provided over opening to. The passages 17 and 2b communicate with anoutflow passage 22 which will receive secretion from the portion Ill andurine from the portion l2.

The portions Illl, 112 may be made of average size, namely approximately4- crns in width and approximately 7 cms in length or may be madesmaller or larger as required.

The passage 22 is formed by a suitable length of tubing, for examplesilicone tubing, and is connected with a chamber 23. The chamber 23 maybe substantially cylindrical and approximately cms long and may be madeof a suitable plastics material. Fluid flows out of the cber through anaperture and flow through the aperture is controlled by control means inthe form of a valve 25. Urine and secretion from the urethra and uteruspass through the valve 25 and are collected in a suitable receptacle 29which may be a plastics bag or a bottle and may be attached by suitablemeans to the chamber 22. The upper part of the receptacle envelopes thevalve 255' without touching it or impeding its action.

The valve 25, as seen in FIG. 3, comprises opposing flexible sheetshaving their upper or upstream edges fast with marginal portions of thewall of the aperture and their lower or downstream edges free. When thevalve 25 is closed, the adjacent inner faces of the sheets engage eachother as seen in FIG. 3; these faces are so treated that they lieperfectly flat on each other in sealing relationship, The sheets may beapproximately 3 cms long and may be made of a suitable plasticsmaterial.

In FIG. 3 which shows diagrammatically the appliance in position on awearer, the rectum is shown at 27, the uterus at 2%, the vagina at Jill,the bladder at Til, the urethra at 32 and the symphysis pubis at 33. Theportion ll of the device is located in the vagina with the opening 26positioned to drain secretions from the uterus. The portion 22 of thedevice is located so that the opening with its protective screen ornetting 2i overlies the urethra 32. Tubing 22 leads to the chamber 23from which fluid passes to the collecting receptacle 29 by way of valve25; the receptacle 2% as shown contains some liquid which has drainedthrough the appliance.

Reference will now be made to lFIG. d for an explanation of theprinciple on which the appliance works. In lFlG. d, the portion ll ofthe device has been omitted for clarity, the portion llll working on thesame principle as the portion 12 which is shown. The collecting bag orreceptacle below the valve 25 is also not shown for clarity.

The device is put in position on the wearer and the tubing 22 connectedto the outflow passage 2i; clamps (not shown) close the tubing 22 toprevent liquid escaping therefrom. The evacuation chamber 23 is at thistime disconnected from the tubing 22 and is charged with a suitableantiseptic liquid 35 to the mark as (see FIG. 2). The chamber 23 is thenconnected to the tubing 22 and is allowed to hang vertically. The tubingclamps are then released. An evacuated state within the appliance is nowproduced by the liquid 35 falling freely through the chamber aperture 2dand through the valve 25, the sheets as of which will be forced open bythe liquid against atmospheric pressure. When the pressure in the devicehas been reduced by reason of the flow of liquid to a preset level, apressure balance is set up, i.e. the reduced atmospheric pressure, forexample 758 mm. Hg, within the device plus the downward pressure of, forexample, 2 mm. Hg of the liquid remaining in the chamber 23 balancesatmospheric pressure of 760 mm. Hg. acting on the valve. At thisinstance the valve 25 closes preventing further loss of liquid from thechamber 23. The suction created within the device produces a leak-proofseal between the surfaces of the device around the openings 16, 18 andthe tissues of the wearer. The screen or netting covering the openings16, 18 prevents this suction from injuring the tissues yet allows thepassage of fluid.

The valve will remain shut preventing egress of liquid from the chamber23 (which would upset the balance in favor of a greater externalpressure) until fluid comes over through the device into the chamber 23.When this occurs the pressure balance is upset because of the increasein the pressure due to the liquid in the chamber 23. This balance ispromptly restored by passage of an equal volume of liquid through thevalve 25 as comes over from the wearer, whereupon the valve recloses.The suction is thus maintained at a substantially constant level; theseal at the interface between the device 10 and the tissues isundisturbed and any volume of urine and/or secretion from the urethra orvagina is drained in a leak-proof fashion indefinitely.

The chamber 23 and receptacle 29 may be made to hook on to the side of abed or wheel chair, or may rest on the ground. In ambulant patients thecollecting system may be made attachable to the lower limb in the regionof the knee.

What I claim is:

1. A personal sanitary device for use in incontinent females comprisinga first portion for insertion into the vagina having a surface portiondefining a first opening for receiving secretion from the uterus andadapted for contact with the tissue surrounding the uterine orifice, asecond portion having a surface portion defining a second opening forreceiving fluid discharged from the urethra and adapted for contact withthe tissue surrounding the urethral orifice, outlet passage meanscommunicating with said openings and fluid flow control means in saidpassage means for controlling the flow of fluid therealong and adaptedsuch that the passage of fluid from said openings therethrough willmaintain a subatmospheric pressure at said openings, said subatmosphericpressure causing said surface portions to sealingly engage saidrespective tissue.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means is a oneway valve.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said valve comprises twoflexible sheets extending in the direction of fluid flow from saidopenings, the upstream margins of the sheets being relatively fixed withthe sheets in face to face relation, the said faces of the sheets beingin sealing engagement when the valve is closed.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least the second openingis covered with a screen permeable to fluid.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least said first andsecond portions are made of inert plastics material.

1. A personal sanitary device for use in incontinent females comprisinga first portion for insertion into the vagina having a surface portiondefining a first opening for receiving secretion from the uterus andadapted for contact with the tissue surrounding the uterine orifice, asecond portion having a surface portion defining a second opening forreceiving fluid discharged from the urethra and adapted for contact withthe tissue surrounding the urethral orifice, outlet passage meanscommunicating with said openings and fluid flow control means in saidpassage means for controlling the flow of fluid therealong and adaptedsuch that the passage of fluid from said openings therethrough willmaintain a subatmospheric pressure at said openings, said subatmosphericpressure causing said surface portions to sealingly engage saidrespective tissue.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidcontrol means is a one way valve.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 2,wherein said valve comprises two flexible sheets extending in thedirection of fluid flow from said openings, the upstream margins of thesheets being relatively fixed with the sheets in face to face relation,the said faces of the sheets being in sealing engagement when the valveis closed.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least thesecond opening is covered with a screen permeable to fluid.
 5. A deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein at least said first and second portionsare made of inert plastics material.